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TOUR MANAGERS:
Roma Randles, Founding Director, Cultural Advisor & Tour Escort Deborah Tresise, Tour Leader COMMENCING
23 August 2019 (16 Days) PRICING:
AUD$8,500 Per person, twin-share SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: AUD$800 DEPOSIT: AUD$1,000 DUE: 30 March 2019 BALANCE: 1 July 2019 ____________________________
TOUR BROCHURE:
Email [email protected] for Tour Brochure and Booking Form. Or call us on +61414371660
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TOUR INCLUSIONS:
- 15 nights' accommodation in centrally located 4* hotels - Ten classical performances - All breakfasts, plus 12 lunches/ dinners, including a glass of wine with lunch/ dinner - Comprehensive sight-seeing with local English-speaking guide - All admissions when on guided tours - One Adria Airways flight - One overnight first class sleeper train journey (twin share) - Road travel by private, air-conditioned coach - Comprehensive Tour Handbook including daily schedules, music performance notes and location notes. - Services of the Tour Manager while on tour - All tips and taxes - Bucharest/ Vienna International Airport transfer. NOT INCLUDED: - International airfares - Airport and hotel porterage - Transfer from Vienna International Airport to the Hotel Wandl - Personal expenses including your hotel room items, room service etc. - Additional performances and excursions offered on an optional basis NOTE: Personal travel insurance is a condition of your inclusion on this tour. Please contact your travel agent for assistance. INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS:
International flights and airport transfers at the commencement and conclusion of the Tour apart from as stated in the Itinerary/ Tour Inclusions are NOT included in this tour. Your travel agent will provide assistance with your International Flights. |
Daily Schedule
Day One 23 August 2019 - Vienna Meet for our welcome late afternoon reception at our favourite and centrally located hotel, the delightful Hotel Wandl, followed by dinner at an historic restaurant nearby. The city of Vienna is closely associated with great composers, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mahler and so many more. It is also rich in wonderful classical architecture, including great houses of music, exquisite palaces, the famous St Stephen's Cathedral and world class art museums, including the famous Albertina. You will visit some of these most beautiful buildings as well as learn about the city's rich history during our full day's guided tour. (D) Day Two - Vienna Our full day's guided tour in and around VIENNA, walking, by bus and including a short trip into the Vienna Woods, visiting one of Beethoven's many homes en route. Lunch will be included. (L) Evening performance at the magnificent Vienna State Opera House. Day Three - Vienna This morning we will continue our exploration with a guided walk, including visits to the homes of Mozart and Schubert. Your afternoon will be free for further discovery. Evening performance at the famous Musikverein or similar venue, followed by apres-performance supper in one of Vienna's famous Coffee Houses/ Cafes, where writers, musicians and artists have met for centuries. (D) Day Four 26th August 2019 - Graz/ Ljubljana After breakfast we take a 2 hour journey in our private air-conditioned coach to GRAZ, the capital of Styria and second largest city in Austria. GRAZ is home to six universities. Its UNESCO listed historic centre is one of the best preserved in Central Europe. Following a walking tour of this impressive city, we will lunch in an historically famous restaurant. Continuing our journey eastwards through the beautiful European countryside, we cross the border into SLOVENIA and thence to our destination, the delightful LJUBLJANA, one of the prettiest small cities in Europe. Our hotel here, as always, is the luxurious GRAND HOTEL UNION situated right at the town's historical centre. It is often said that the gorgeous Ljubljana is "a small city with all of the amenities of a large". We couldn't agree more. Ljubljana is situated on both sides of the winding tree-lined Ljubljanica River, crossed by several pretty bridges, including the famous Triple Bridge. Ljubljana is a University town, renowned for its music. Its squares, elegant buildings and narrow streets humming with cafes, boutiques and lively markets are all overlooked by the elevated historic Castle Hill complex, incorporating an historic castle and superb contemporary development and boasting expansive views over the city. Accessible by either funicular from the city's marketplace or by a pleasant walk up through the peaceful surrounding forest, Castle Hill is host to the annual Ljubljana Summer Music Festival, very famous for its programmes with leading international artists, orchestras, ensembles, ballet and opera. The 2019 programme is not yet announced. Based on our past experiences the program will be marvellous and we will attend at least two performances, as well as a special performance by the Amael Piano Trio, headed by our close friend Volodja Balzalorsky, Head of Music at Ljubljana University. During our time at Ljubljana we will also take a full-day tour to the nearby Gulf of Trieste, part of the beautiful Adriatic Sea. This far flung provence in eastern Italy provides for exceptional exploration, for example the exquisite mosaics of Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire, situated on Roman ruins, or the 19th century Hapsburg Castello de Miramare with its surrounding gardens, rare plants & panoramic views over the Adriatic Sea. Alternatively, we will visit the most beautiful Lake Bled, famous for its turquoise waters and historic chapel situated on a small island which is only accessible by traditional and most unusual watercraft. Bled also boasts its own unique and very special cream puffs! (L) Day Eight 30 August 2019 - Bucharest & the George Enescu Festival Today we fly to Romania's capital, Bucharest, where we will stay at the DOUBLETREE HILTON HOTEL. The George Enescu International Festival, also incorporating a Competition, is Romania's largest classical music festival and international competition. The 2019 programme incorporates leading orchestras, conductors and soloists, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. We will attend three major festival performances in the many elegant and historical venues with the city, the BERLIN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, the LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and a soprano/ harp recital from DIANA DAMRAU and XAVIER DE MAISTRE, plus additional performances, for example a piano recital by MARC-ANDRE HAMELIN. GEORGE ENESCU (1881-1955) was a Romanian child prodigy who was admitted incredibly to the Vienna Conservatory at the age of seven years! Many of his earlier compositions contained national folk themes. At the young age of ten years he was presented to Emperor Franz Joseph of the Austrian Court where he played his violin. His musical career blossomed at great pace, and he settled in Paris, studying at the Conservatoire where he was later engaged as a teacher. He remained in Paris, and was buried in the famous Pere Lachaise Cemetery, amidst other great musicians, artists and statesmen. The great cellist, Pablo Casals, described him as being "the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart." Enescu was a most noted teacher. His most famous student, Lord Yehudi Menuhin wrote of him following his death in 1955, "Enescu gave me the light which has guided my entire existence ... he will remain for me the absoluteness through which I judge others." TRANSYLVANIA is very large! One of the most important thing we will experience during our stay is its glorious scenery, as well as the medieval culturally rich towns full of mystery and legend. Time permitting we will visit the most beautiful small cities, SIBIU and BRASIOV, only an hour or so drive from Bucharest. In 2007 SIBIU was designated the European Cultural Capital in 2007. Day Thirteen 4 September 2019 - Bucharest/ Budapest We conclude our last day in Bucharest with the first class overnight sleeper train to Budapest, where we stay in the centrally located Hotel NH. We will enjoy two days of sightseeing of this wonderful Hungarian capital, so connected with the composer FRANZ LISZT, accompanied by our expert local guide. Budapest, situated across both sides of the River Danube, is often described as one of the most beautiful European cities. Its lovely surrounds around the River Danube are UNESCO-listed. Just some of the prestigious institutions situated along the river are the State Opera House, the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, the Hungarian National Museum, the Old Turkish Baths (still functioning beautifully!), St Stephen's Basilica, Buda Castle and so much more. During our time in Budapest we will attend a performance at the Liszt Concert Hall plus others as available, as well as experience a delightful River Cruise along the Danube. Day Sixteen 6th September 2019 - Budapest Our beautiful Eastern European tour ends after breakfast. A transfer to Vienna International Airport will be provided and your travel agent will assist you with your return home or with your own onward travel arrangements. |